How do the arrangements of numbers and letters on regular license plates (not the personalized kind) come to be?

lanfranco

The various states (and countries) do this differently. This site may help: http://www.answers.com/license%20plate Scroll down to US and Canada, Main Article Aug 17 05, 1:27 PM

satguru

This has been my hobby literally since about the age of four! Arrangements for each country mainly depend on the population, the larger the poulation, the greater the variety and number of characters. Some countries then added a date indicator, often when all the other characters had been used up, and now they are very common. Recently in Europe when countries used up their system they have been replacing them with a simple A-Z series allocated in complete order from one source, all losing any meaning at all. Spain, Denmark and Italy have changed theirs in my lifetime, and France will follow in 2008. British numbers changed in 2001 but kept a location and year character in a new arrangement. Also since the eastern bloc split up in around 1991 every new country from the larger Yugoslavia and Soviet Union has their own unique plates which were all chosen by the new governments, and have given collectors a new lease of life spotting every new format. Aug 17 05, 3:48 PM

robboy

I don't get a site from frankie's citation, so I don't know if this bit is contained there. Many states initially and some still do cross-reference the characters on the plates to be city/county specific within that state. Friend of mine in Montana amazed me with his ability to rattle off where so and so was from just from seeing the back of a vehicle. Aug 17 05, 4:21 PM

lanfranco

I'm sorry, robboy, I didn't realize the site would demand a search term in order to get back to the article I thought I'd posted. Enter "license plate" and click on "answers." Scrolling down the basic license plate site, you'll come to "U.S. and Canadian plates." There's a link to a main article. I do apologize. Aug 17 05, 4:36 PM

satguru

Here are a couple more worldwide with links to others. http://www.olavsplates.com/country_index.html http://www.worldlicenseplates.com I'll get a few more collectors on board somehow! Aug 17 05, 5:17 PM

robboy

No apologies needed, frankie; I should have figured that out. And it does cover my two bits worth of info, but I still don't know why American plates change so frequently. Although I'm no collector, I did obtain original plates from each state and year, framed them and gave one to each of my extended family. Now the grandkids want theirs, too. Aug 17 05, 9:05 PM

McGruff

I simplified Frankie's link a bit, it didn't like that last URL for some reason. Aug 18 05, 7:49 AM

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